Cableway.



OABLEWAY.

Mmmm-10N MLM) S2211, 1914.

CABLEWAY.

APPLIGATNN FILED SEPT. 1, 1914.

ofthe said load shifter.

lenters the load shifter, the transfer of the loadbeing automatic. TWhen the carriage approaching the load shifter enters the latter, the grippers 9 are moved by means of the trips 15 so as to release the carrier, which latter shifts to the carriage, and as the latter moves away J'rom the load shifter the grippers 9 close upon the shank 10, thereby retaining the carrier in place upon the carriage without any possible displace-v ment. lThe trips 15 are mounted on the curved ends 14 of the load shifter, and are adapted to engage the curved ends 14 of the grippers to move the latter and thereby release the shank 10 so that the carrier may pass vfrom one carriage to the other.

The load shifter comprises a frame embodying spaced side pieces 16, and this' frame includes intermediate and outer sepaable sections which are detachably united through connectors 17, while between the side pieces 16 the carriages and carrier pass. The frame of the load shifter is secured to the spar or post 4 in any substantial way. for example, as' shown in Fig. 1. Preferably the said frame has chains 18 connected thereto which are passed about the spar 4 and are fastened together in any suitable manner to secure the load shifter frame thereon. The side pieces 16 at the ends thereof are flared as indicated most clearly in Figs. 3 and 8, and the purpose being to guide the carriages and carrier between the side pieces when 1l. e load is passing through the load shifter, or the carriage is returning after delivering a. load.

A plurality of vertical rollers 19 are 1ocated upon the inner faces ofthe side pieces 16 to relieve the friction incident to the passage of the carrier between the side pieces These rollers 1f) also reduce the wear on the operating rope 20, by means of which the carrier 12 is moved outward upon the cable A. The frame of the load shifter may be of any construction, and as' shown comprises a` middle section 21,V and outer sections 22, such sections being suitably secured when placed 'together, for instance/,bv the connectors 17.

Vheels 28 are located upon the side pieces 16 in position to engage the head 11 of the carrier, and support the same while passing from one carriage to the other during the tmnsfer of a load, in order to enable the same to pass by the intermediate post 4.

The carrier comprises a frame provided at its upper end with the shank 10 and head 11, such frame being formed with spaced side Apieces 24, between which the. several operating ropes or' cables pass. Vertically arranged grooved pulleys 25 are located between the side pieces 24. andthe rope or cable 20 passes between' thema The rope or cable 20 is attached to the carrier at one end, as indicated at 26, and passesaround the pulley attached to the support 3, thence passes between the side pieces of the load shifter and the side pieces of the carrier and over a guide pulley attached to the spar or support 2. A pull upon the rope or cable 20 moves the carrier upon the cable A from tending coiled compression springs 32 which work against follower plates 33 formed with guide ears 34 movable in guide slots 35 provided in the side pieces 16 of the load shifter,

and the purpose of these springs and follower plates is-to serve as a. buffer for the carriage when passing into the load shifter, so as to absorb shocks and jars incident thereto.

Arranged in a plane below the stretch of the cable A through the load shifter and fixed to the side pieces of the load shifter at the inner faces thereof are tracks 36 having downwardly curved ends 37. andthese tracks are engaged by the wheels 38 on the carrier in event of the sagging of the cable A at opposite sidos'of the load shifter so as to insure a positive entrance of the carrier therein.

In the operation of a cableway for trans ferring loads from one point to another`- and should it become necessary to support such cableway at an intermediate point by rea.- son of the unusual length of the cableway, a. load shifter 5 is arranged at the intermediate support and two carriages are arranged los to operate upon opposite sides of such load supports. such carriages being arranged to act jointly with a carrier whereby the load starting from the point 2 is transferred from the first carriage to the second carriage when the intermediate support 4 is reached, such transfer being automatically effected without requiring the load to be lowered and again picked up. When the first carriage enters the load shifter, the grippers 9 there: of are operated to release the carrier 12, and the latter shifts from the first to the second carriage, and as the latter leaves the load shifter the grippers 9 thereof close about the head 11 and thereby retain the carrier until the load Iis delivered at the point 3 and the carrier returns to the intermediate support 4, when such carrier automatical y shifts the second back to the first carriage anacxl is returned to the point 2 for the next lo From the foi'egcing desciition, taken i'i connection with die accompanying drawingb` the udvziiitziges of die consti-action and of the method oi' operation will be isridiif/ apparent tv those Skiiied iii the :i1-t 0 whi the inwiitinn :ippci'ziiiia :md wif w .ifsmibL-d ihe principio of @per on inwiifioiif 'figithei' with die device 4 now consiffler 10 ho the: best eiiibodimmii thereof, I dasii'o to have il understood ihm the device shown iS merely iiilisintive. im* that such Chaim' inni' bs made wiwn d siied :is wv iv hQ scopo of Uw im :iS C' iimed.

Having time (ik is chiiiiie'd :1S zum' for @mi ii s ports, :i carrier minpteni io und to -izivei btween the ieri :uid means for autoiiiutica'iy the carrier from one carriage t() when the. intuiinediuv suppoi izo ennoie. such Carrier o @am by.

iin-dint@ support m @zich dii 

